Since the development of the microwave oven, there has been a continuing consumer demand for microwave-ready packaged meals. In particular, consumers who are parents often purchase microwave-ready packaged meals for preparation by their children as a lunch, a bridge meal between regular meals, a snack, and so forth. Consequently, many packaged meals are designed to be prepared by children with a minimum of adult supervision, or no adult supervision at all. Thus, it is desirable to provide packaged meals for children that are nutritious, while being easy for the child to prepare with the least possible mess and cleanup. Moreover, preparation of microwave-ready packaged meals may provide an enjoyable and educational experience for the child as the child's first foray into cooking.